Filter unit for coffee makers



FILTER UNIT FOR COFFEE MAKERS Filed Sept. 22, 1944 3949 A. J. PETERSON FILTER UNIT FOR COFFEE MAKERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 22, 1944 Patented July 12, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FILTER UNITMFOR COFFEE MAKERS Amos J. Peterson, Berwyn, Ill., assignor to Club Aluminum Products 00., Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Application September 22, 1944; Serial No. 555,233 1 Claim. (01. 99-306) This invention'relates-to improvements in filter wherein one of said parts supports the-ground unit's fordripcoffee makers and it consists of the coffee in place in said vessel and the other-dismatters hereinafter described and more particu tributes or spreads the water in said vessel evenly larly'pointedout in the'appended claim. over said ground coffee to insure the production One'of the objects of the present invention is 5 of a good and flavorful'infusion in the lower vesto provide a filter unit of the kind'mentioned', sel of the coffee maker. which'includes but two parts that maybe readily In the use of the unit,'-in a drip coffee maker, assembled-for use and then disassembled after one part thereof is placed in position in the coffee such use 'for an easy but thorcughcleaning and chamber of the upper vessel of the cofiee maker, whereby the unit may be kept in a sanitary to provide a filter bottom therefor. After the condition;-'- ground coffee hasbeen placed'thereonrthe other Another object of the invention is to provide a part is applied to the first part to act as a' means unit-of this kin'dwhich includes a filter part and for distributing the water over the ground coffee a waterdistributorpart'which' may be readily apand at the same time prevent the ground coffee pliedto and-removed from the filter partby a from floating up into the water'chamber'of said simple relative turning and longitudinal-moveupper vessel. After a coffee infusion has been me'nt between said parts; made in the lower vessel of the coffee maker. said A further object of the invention is to provide parts are" removable therefrom as a unit while a unit of this kind'which is so constructed as to supporting the 'wet coffee grounds as a mass'for be 'practical to make of a ceramic, plastic, or disposal afterwhich saidparts may be separated other moldable material and which may be confor cleaning. "It is desired that when the unit is veniently handledin removing the same from'the in use there be a limitedlongitudi'n'al floating associated vessel of the Coffeemaker. movement between said'parts and therefore they The above-mentioned'objects of the invention, are so made that in one relative position their together with others, will more fully'appear as movement is limited. 'When' turned to adiiferent' the 'specification' proceeds. relative positionfcomplete separation of the parts In thddraWin'gsz' is possible.

Fig. 1' is aperspective'view, on a full size scale, Referring now in detail to that embodiment of of a filter unit fora dripcoifee maker" embodying the invention illustrated in the drawings'and esthe preferred form bf the invention, 'with'one o'f pecially to Fig. 1 thereof, the improved filter the 'partsthereof appearing partly in section for comprises a lower filter part l0 and an upper better illustrative purposes. Water distributor'p'art I I, each of which is pref- Fig. '2is a-view; on the scale -of Fig. 1, partly erably made of a rnoldable material such as a in elevation and partly'in longitudinal section of ceramic, a glass or a plastiQa ceramic material the improved 'filte'r-unit when in operative posi-- being preferred. tion'in' the associatedmpper vessel of a drip coffee The filter part incliides 'a stem having lower maker." and upper portions l2 and I3 respectively, the

Fig. 3 is a horizontal detail sectional view lower portiont'aperin'g upwardly and the upper througha part'of the improved filter unit as 7 portion being cylindrical and "som'ew'hatlonger taken on the Iine 3-53' and ona' scale enlarged 4 andof a diameter less than thatof the top end ovef'that 0f Fig-e of the lower portion and to which it is joined by Fig. 4 is adetail vertical se'ctionalviewthrough a radial shoulder i4. Integral with the bottom" a part of the improved-filter unit'a's taken on the end'of the lower portion'is a 'fiat'and'preferabiy' line 44 of Fig. 2 and on the scale of Fig. 3. I v circular filter disc I5, having radially extending Fig; 5 isa top 'pl'anview, on the scale of Fig. 3, filter slits l'fi therein. Said slits, where they open of the top end portionof the unit, Withone part through the top surfaceof the filterdisc, are so arrangedin a position relatively to the other for narrow relative to the grind of coffee to be an assembly/"of saidparts or fora disassembly used in theassociated drip coffee maker as to thereof by a relative'longitudinal movement. preclude the passage of the grou d coffee there- Fig-I 6-is a View similar to Fig. 5, after the parts through. These slits flare down "ardly and outthereof have been 'turned'r'elatively into positions wardlyto open through the bottoniof the disc "I 5 preventinglongitudinal separation of said parts; .where they are so wide as to prevent drops of In general the'improved filter unit is made in water adhering to the disc throughthe actionof wo parts for'assembly intooperative'position in capillary attraction. This formation of saidslits he upper vessel of a drip coffee maker and best appears in Fig.4. "At-the top end of the upper stem portion I3 is a plurality of relatively short, longitudinally extending ribs I! which in the present instance are two in number and which are arranged diametrically opposite each other. In the periphery of said top end of the upper stein portion are longitudinally extending grooves or flutes l8-I8 which coact with said ribs in forming a convenient knob for grasping by the fingers of the hand. The ribs "-41 project radially outward beyond the periphery of the stem portion I3 and their function will soon appear.

The water distributor II includes a shallow circular dome shaped body I9 and an upstanding centrally disposed tubular stem 28. The body I9, which is of a diameter greater than. that of the disc I5, terminates in a peripheral radial flange 2| and depending from the underside of said body is an annular flange 22 of a diameter approximating that of the disc I5. In the body I9 between the stem 23 and flange 2| is a plurality of water passages 23-23 of such relatively small diameter as to prevent the too rapid passage of water therethrough. The bottom surface of the body is oonvexed outwardly and downwardly from an annular boss 24 so as to blend into the flange 22 as a rounded corner 25.

The stem 20 has an internal bore 26 of a diameter slightly greater than the stem portion I3 with which it is associated. In opposite sides of said bore are longitudinal grooves 2! that are complemental to the ribs I1 on the top end of the stem portion I3. The stem 28 in connec tion with the boss24 provides a length that approximates that part of the stem portion between the shoulder I4 and the bottom ends of the ribs I'I-I1. Said stem 20 tapers externally slightly toward its top end where it is provided with longitudinal grooves or flutes 23 which give good grasping quality for the fingers in handling and manipulating the water distributor when the unit as a whole is placed in the upper Vessel 29 of a drip coffee maker such as appears in Fig. 2.

The vessel 29 as herein shown and which is usually made of glass, includes an open top bowllike upper portion 30 and a cylindrical lower ground coffee holding portion 3I. The bottom end of the portion 3|, which is also open, terminates in a flange that forms an inwardly extending shoulder 32. The upper end of said portion joins the bowl 30 in a manner providing an annular shoulder 33. The coffee holding portion 3I has an inside diameter slightly greater than that of the filter disc I and the shoulder 33 has a diameter slightly greater than that of the peripheral flange 2| of the body I9 of the water distributor. This said coffee holding portion is adapted for use in connection with a glass coffee infusion vessel 34 shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. This vessel 34 has a top end neck 35 of a length and diameter to receive the coffee holding portion 3| of the vessel 29, said neck termihating in a top end pouring lip flange 33 and upon which the shoulder 33 seats when said vessels are disposed in operative relation to each other.

In making a coffee infusion with the filter unit and vessels above mentioned, while the parts II] and II are in a separated condition, the top end of the stem portion I3 is grasped by the fingers and the part Ill as a whole is lowered through the open top end of the vessel 29 and into the lower portion 3| until the peripheral margin of the filter ing relation upon the shoulder 32. The stem disc l5 rests in supportas to dispose the top end of the portion I3 in convenient relation to the open top end of the vessel 29. The filter unit part It] may be placed in the vessel 29 either after or before (preferably the latter) the vessel 23 has been applied to the vessel 34.

Ground coffee is then placed in the vessel part M to a level proportioned to the amount of hot water later placed in the portion 33 of the ves sel 2B, the filter disc I5 forming at this time a supporting bottom for the ground coffee.

The water distributor part II is now grasped by its fluted top end and placed in position with respect to the top end of the stem part is as to be substantially coaxial therewith. The distributor is then turned axially until the grooves 21 of its bore 26 line up with the ribs Ii-!l' as best appears in Fig. 5. This permits the lowering of the distributor upon the stem portion I3 until the flange 2| engages in supporting relation upon the inside of the shoulder 33 of the vessel 29. When so disposed, the bottom end of the boss 24 of the distributor will be spaced slightly above the shoulder I4 between the stem parts I2 and I3, as best appears in Fig. 2. By means of the fingers grasping stem 20, the distributor part II as a whole is turned relatively to the filter part It so that the grooves 2'! are out of register or line with the ribs II-I'i as best appears in Fig. 6.

Water in the proper amount, at the desired temperature, is now poured into the open top end of the vessel 29 to the desired level therein. This water then passes down through the passages 23 and ground coffee supported by the disc I5, picking up the valuable constituents therefrom to pass out through the slits It in the disc to drip into the vessel 34 as a coffee infusion.

After the coffee infusion has ceased dripping from the slits in the filter disc, the filter unit and the vessel 29 may be removed as a whole from the vessel 34 which may now be used as a serving vessel. The spent'coffee grounds at this time form a relatively Wet and packed mass on the filter disc.

To remove the filter unit from the vessel 29, the fluted top end part of the stem portion I3 is grasped as a knob and an upward lift imparted to the unit to remove the same, together with the wet packed grounds, out through the open top end of the vessel. In the initial part of said lift the shoulder I4 at the junction of the stem parts I2 and I3 will engage the boss 24 so as to pick up the distributor I I which will then be lifted upwardly with the filter part It.

The wet coffee grounds are now dislodged from the unit for disposal. Thereafter the distributor part II is turned relatively to the filter part II until the grooves 21 register with the ribs IT as shown in Fig. 5 so that the distributor may be withdrawn upwardly from the filter part. parts may now be individually cleansed and sterilized. For convenient storage, the parts Iii and I I may be reassembled.

It is to be noted that the parts may be readily assembled and disassembled by a simple relative turning and longitudinal movement and when disassembled may be readily cleansed.

While in describing the invention I have referred in detail to the form, arrangement and construction of the parts involved, the same is to be considered only in the illustrative sense so that I do not wish to be limited thereto except as may be specifically set forth in the appended portions I2 and I3 are of such a combined length claim.

the fluted top end of the I claim as my invention:

In combination with the upper vessel of a drip cofiee maker that is removably engaged upon a coacting lower vessel thereof, said upper vessel including a lower ground coffee chamber and an upper and communicating water receiving chamher, said coffee chamber including an inwardly extending bottom end shoulder, a filter unit associated with the upper vessel of said coffee maker and comprising a plurality of longitudinally separable parts, one of said parts including a filter portion adapted to supportingly engage said shoulder and an upstanding central stem having a lower portion of one diameter and an upper portion of a. lesser diameter, said portions being connected together by a radial shoulder, the upper portion being formed as a grasping knob and which has at least one longitudinally extending ri the other part of said filter unit including a lower por on with water passages therethrough for closing off the upper portion of said ground coflee chamber and a sleeve to surround at least a part of said upper portion rib on said knob to permit the application of said distributor to the upper portion of said stem.

AMOS J. PETERSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following referenlces are of record in the 0 file of "this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 

